Denon PMA-600NE and Marantz PM6007 - a short comparative review.

I've not seen the PMA-600NE and PM6007 directly compared to each other, so I thought this might be useful. There're lots of detailed reviews of these amps, so I don't go into the detailed specs, I just describe my thoughts on both. I initially attempted to record a side-by-side audio comparison, but my phone's mics weren't good enough to pick up the differences, leading me to abandon that idea.
We all have different tastes, and my opinions of these amps may well differ from your own experiences of them. Whilst I'm happy to answer questions, I've no interest in getting into subjective discussions.
This is the first review I've posed to KZbin, so please excuse the low production quality!

[@jackinthebox135]

Thanks for this video. I'm trying to choose between these two atm, I'm in the U.K. Unfortunately the Marantz is currently £449, where as the Denon is still £349. Useful video for me at the right time.

[@MarksOccasionalReviews]

Gosh, that's quite the price hike for the Marantz! I don't think it's £100 better than the Denon. I would either wait to see if it goes on sale or get the Denon. Also look around to see if you can get a factory certified refurb in the UK.

[@garnhamr]

bloody inflation D: i've got a 6006 which i like but the 6007 has an upgraded dac + sub out and i need another amp for upstairs. the extra bass of the denon could be good for my little wharfedale 121s but i just don't think i want to risk it when i know that the marrantz 6006 sounds really good with the bass control turned up, also the 6007 has a sub out if i ever wanted to add one D: problems problems problems D:

[@dcurvberlin]

Great Job, thank you very much, I'm thinking I will go with the Marantz too :)

[@cuencaenero]

Muchas gracias, me ha servido de mucha ayuda.

[@MarksOccasionalReviews]

¡De nada! Me alegra que hayas encontrado útil mi vídeo.

[@1k1ngst0n]

awesome comparison. Need more of these geared to us poorer people

[@MarksOccasionalReviews]

Than you!

[@Muswell]

Hey Mark. Please help. I still have my Denon DRA700 AE DAB amp/receiver which I've had for over 15yrs. . What I need to ask you is about the earthing. I always get tingles when I run my finger along it (& also the pickup arm on my Technics 1210 deck which is earthed to it). . I've just realised that the mains lead on the Denon only has 2 pins ! It's not earthed & never has been. I'm scared to use it now & surprised that I haven't had a serious shock in all these years. I assume they are made for the US market? So does this model have 2 wires or 3 in the mains lead? I believe it is already attached rather than being a "kettle" type lead. Please help. Thanks.

[@MarksOccasionalReviews]

Hi there! Both the Marantz and Denon units have two pin, non earthed power cords.

[@earlyetman5588]

Excellent video! Marantz prices are high here in the USA as well, refurbished is the way to go. I am looking at the PM6007, PM7000N or the Arcam SA20 to power a pair of KLH Model 3 speakers. I kind of want to try Marantz for the first time.

[@MarksOccasionalReviews]

Thank you! I'm glad you've found my video helpful. Enjoy testing out the different amps!

[@diegocanale1124]

I'd go for the marantz between the two if i had adequate room and budget for separates. At the moment i use a Marantz Melody X M-CR 612.

[@krunobrzi666]

Hi Mark. I'm curious if the Denon has the same lowest volume as the Marantz, to be clear, if both are equally quiet at the lowest level. And I've already read that the Denon has quite a rough volume adjustment, although I would prefer its sound. This is not a crucial thing, but it can be important, when you are not alone in the house, apartment, especially in the evening.

[@MarksOccasionalReviews]

Excellent question! I should have described this more clearly in the video. At its lowest volume, the Denon is very quiet, much quieter than anyone would want to listen to. It certainly wouldn’t be noticeable from other rooms. The Marantz does go quieter, but again to levels that nobody would want to listen to. I don’t think you’ll have a problem with the Denon in this respect. I just found it a little strange that I had to turn the Denon’s volume control a lot more than I expected before any sound came out of the speakers at all. This could well have been unique to this particular unit, but I have seen similar reports from other people. Overall, I found the Marantz’s volume control to be better. One thing I didn’t mention in the video is that from a purely tactile point of view, I thought the Denon’s volume control felt better. It requires a little more force to turn, whereas the Marantz is quite light (and thus feels a little cheaper). But these are minor quibbles. Both amps are very good. If you’re worried about volume levels disturbing other people in your home or your neighbours, the good news is that the headphone outputs on both the Denon and Marantz are excellent! I hope this helps!

[@GeirRssaak]

@@MarksOccasionalReviews are your ears disturbed by noisy children?!

[@John-su6gu]

Thank you for the review! Is the depth of the marantz 37cm / 14.56 inches including the front rotary knobs and rear connectors?

[@MarksOccasionalReviews]

Yes, I've just measured mine. Including the controls on the front and connectors at the back it's around 37cm. Remember that plug on the power cord juts out even further, making it roughly 40cm before the cord can be bent. Using a cable with a right angled plug might help if tight for space.

[@giuliopassamilolio411]

Hallo! The Marantz would be good for Focal Chorus 706 speakers? Thanks for time, this video is what I was looking for 😊

[@MarksOccasionalReviews]

Sorry, I have no experience with those speakers so am unable to say if they'd be a good match. My guess would be it's be fine. There are plenty of reviews out there with a range of different speakers, and the PM6007 seems to work well in each case.

[@tomdemaline8869]

Hi Mark, all I listen to is vinyl thru headphones. What is your opinion on the Marantz in this situation? Thanks good channel

[@MarksOccasionalReviews]

Hi Tom, The PM6007's phono equalizer and headphone amp are very good. I listen through headphones (Sennheiser 560S) a lot, and I'm very happy with how vinyl sounds through this amp. I also use the audio-output RCA connection to digitize vinyl on my PC, for use on my phone and in the car. This sounds much better than my old solution, an Art Pro Phono Plus (Phono to USB).

[@MarksOccasionalReviews]

I should add that I think the Denon's phono equalizer and headphone amp are just as good as the Marantz. The Denon has a little more bass and punch than the Marantz, but I preffered the latter. If the Denon is cheaper than the Marantz where you live, it might be the better option for you. They're pretty close when it comes to headphone output.

[@Ireland-bc2gx]

Have the 6006 good but ,noise from the volume control and digital Cox,with be going soon

[@MarksOccasionalReviews]

Sorry to hear that you've had issues with the older model. I've not had any problems with the 6007.

[@angelOcrisu]

No one compared the two because the two are incomparable. Denon launched at 350 eu and the Marantz at 600eu so now draw a conclusion. I have the Denon for 4 years now and it doesn't produce any sound from the transformer. I didn't had the money for Marantz but I regret not getting the 800ne for an extra 50 euros. The 600 it's stilla powerful good enough full featured amp. And the input selector on Denon feels great and resistant not loose.😉

[@MarksOccasionalReviews]

They're absolutely comparable! I found the sound quality differences between them to be minor, which just goes to show that one should not gage quality based on price alone. In the end I slightly preferred the sound quality and the volume control of the Marantz. I don't need Bluetooth, so that aspect of the Denon wasn't important to me. If it were not for the availability of a b-stock Marantz at nearly the same price as the new Denon, I would have returned the Denon for a replacement. Whilst I found the Denon to be a bit more bass heavy and punchy than the Marantz, and described it as potentially fatiguing, turning down the bass control helped a lot and I'm sure I would've been fine with it. I wouldn't have bought the Marantz at full retail (CA$999), I think it's hugely overpriced for what it is, especially considering how much cheaper both units are in the UK. It sounds like Marantz are overpricing the PM6007 in the Eurozone too! This might be one of the very few cases where the UK is getting a better deal! As to your other points: - As I clarified in my video, Denon confirmed that the mechanical transformer noise was a fault. Also confirmed by other owners who contacted me. I don't believe this fault had any impact on the sound quality of the amp. It was probably just loose laminations in the transformer and was very quiet. - As you've noted, the Denon's input selector feels solid and high quality. It just requires a little more force to turn than the Marantz. This wasn't meant to be taken as a negative comment for either amp, just an observation. I think my comparison video is for people who either have the opportunity to purchase these units at the same price point, or are thinking about the more expensive PM6007 but are interested to know if the cheaper PMA-600NE might be a good alternative (it is!).

[@angelOcrisu]

​@@MarksOccasionalReviews The Marantz pm 6007 is just 30CAD up from the Denon600ne in my country(Romania) now with all the Christmas deals. This unit didn't rise above 6006 in public view maybe because of the design, but feature wise it's better. I am tired of the bassy Denon and want to change it with just an integrated, no dac.

[@MarksOccasionalReviews]

@@angelOcrisu I hope that Rotel is to your liking! I've never owned one so can't comment. I thought about trying something with only analogue inputs, but I opted for the convenience of a built in DAC!

[@GeirRssaak]

You have a very good amp!

[@angelOcrisu]

I've replaced the Denon 600 with Marantz 6007 and the later is better in any way: sound wise , clarity, separation, detail and all with the internal dac. The headphones out is great, balanced, not bloated like Denon's. Don't get me wrong! Denon is a great amp if you use source direct and give it 500 h to burn in. Until this it sounds muffled. It opens later like the Marantz. Speakers Wharfedale Diamond 12.2, Wiim pro streamer, Denon CDC 600 cd player. And it was just 20 USD price difference now from the Denon. Denon are thieves. It should still be 350 USD as launched So the two are incomparable.

[@jerryjazzbo2845]

You should have compared the Denon with the PM7000N instead, which has 60W pr/ch. Yet, Marantz is generally more expensive (even if they are sister companies).

[@MarksOccasionalReviews]

The PM7000N was outside of my budget. The b-stock PM6007 was almost half the price and easily powers my speakers to the level I require.

[@c0uchsl0uch]

Does the marantZ put out enough sound=power ?

[@MarksOccasionalReviews]

I've never pushed it very hard. I live in an apartment building and want to keep things friendly with my neighbours! 😁

[@cirrus1964]

What amazes me, is the rubbish here. First the Marantz is less than 370 Euro's in Holland. Why don't you all not buy a Single ended EL84 amp with the right high sensitive speakers, and you have the HIFI you are looking for, for life that is.

[@MarksOccasionalReviews]

1. I'm glad the fine people of The Netherlands are able to purchase the Marantz at a fair price. I believe the people of Canada and USA are being gouged. 2. I'm not recommending these two amps over any others. There are so many options out there, with different combinations that will fit everyone's tastes and budgets. The refurbished Marantz fits mine. 3. I've just Googled EL84 amps and, whilst they look very interesting, they don't appear to be the HIFI I'm looking for. Your Jedi mind trick didn't work on me.

[@StagnantMizu]

I got the PMA 720 from 1989, would these be a upgrade or downgrade?

[@MarksOccasionalReviews]

Funny enough, I'm pretty sure I used to have a 520 in the early 90's but gave it to my Dad when I bought a Yamaha prologic amp (don't remember the model) in 1996. From what I remember the 1980s Denon was a solidly good amp but I preferred the sound of the Yamaha (actually my favorite amp of all I've owned). I had to use the loudness button on the 520 to get the punchy base I like. No loudness button on the Yamaha (other models have variable loudness, but this did not, yet it sounded all-round fantastic to my ears). Neither the PMA-600ne nor Marantz have loudness buttons, but are both punchy and full enough for me. Of course, I have different speakers now to 1996 so hard to give a proper comparison, but I think you'll find the newer amps to be a sonic upgrade. They also have decent DACs too. Glad to hear your 720 is working 35 years later. I think my Dad's 520 is too, but he doesn't use it these days.

[@StagnantMizu]

Thanks for the reply, I use a external dac so that is no issue for me. I can relate on having to yse loudness in lower power situations haha. I really like the amp though and probably will recap it if it goes faulty!

[@MarksOccasionalReviews]

If you love the 720, then no need to upgrade. I made that mistake when traded in my Yamaha Prologic for a Sony Dolby Digital/DTS receiver in 1998. It never sounded as good!

[@StagnantMizu]

Haha that sucks

[@davidherd6145]

I would think that the price differences are probably due to shipment, import/local taxes etc. Of course the main importer might just be a greedy *hit! Same goes for American/Canadian hifi in the UK.

[@mozart9052]

[@jesusandradasdediego3837]

In Spain , denon 600 , 400€ , 320 pounds

[@GeirRssaak]

You should test your hearing! Perhaps your ear doctor can cure the noise!

[@MarksOccasionalReviews]

Thank you for your concern about my health. I am indeed planning to have my hearing tested soon, as everyone should. However, it's more likely that a Denon technician will replace the transformer in that unit before it's sold as a refurb.

[@GeirRssaak]

@@MarksOccasionalReviews dear mark! If you have a good denon amp,stick to it!

[@davidherd6145]

@@MarksOccasionalReviews Check for low level DC current on your mains, it can cause transformer buzz. Audiolab make a "cheap" DC blocking filter (about £100, UK). Some amps are more susceptible than others.

[@MarksOccasionalReviews]

@@davidherd6145 Hi David, I didn't mention it on the video, but I tried an Audiolab DC Blocker whilst waiting for Denon support to get back to me (which took over a week). It made absolutely no difference to the mechanical transformer noise, thus ruling out DC on mains as the cause. For those looking for a DC Blocker, I bought an open box unit (saving CA$40) from a supplier in Quebec via Amazon. It cost me CA$25 to ship it back for a refund, but it was worth it to rule out DC on the mains.

[@davidherd6145]

@@MarksOccasionalReviews Ah well, worth a try! How about checking that the retaining bolts on the transformer are properly "nipped-up"? But don't go at them with a torque wrench, some hifi equipment (chassis wise) is not as strong as you might think!

[@srenschjdt2864]

sweet spot is speakers not the amp noob

[@MarksOccasionalReviews]

According to the Cambridge English dictionary the term sweet spot can mean"the particular situation, quality, combination of things, etc. that is the best or most effective possible:" dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/sweet-spot In audiophile jargon it's often used to refer to the ideal positioning of listener and speakers, but it's not limited to that single definition.

[@GeirRssaak]

What an uninteresting review!

[@MarksOccasionalReviews]

What an uninteresting reply!

[@GeirRssaak]

@@MarksOccasionalReviews very good!

[@k1ortia]

Waffle on

[@MarksOccasionalReviews]

Excellent! I'll have mine with butter and maple syrup please. None of that table syrup nonsense, thanks.

[@user-cx6gi4pj7n]

bla bla bla bla get to the point

[@MarksOccasionalReviews]

I think you're more of a TikTok kind of guy.

[@synixx9286]

What is the point in this comment? The guys just sharing his thoughts on both amps. I found it interesting. You must have a short attention span.